Jean Francois Ganevat

Certainly one of the best and brightest stars of the Jura must be Jean Francois Ganevat. I had only tried Ganevat once before, the well renowned Cuvee Julien, his take on Pinot Noir from the Jura. And while I loved the wine, I did not love the price. As far as wines from the Jura go, Ganevat is at the top; commanding Burgundy like prices in most cases. I can say that the quality and character of the wines may well merit the price too. So while they may not be everyday wines, they are certainly a worthy addition to the cellar for their singularity and purity. A Jura loving friend and I tucked into a couple of fine examples that I have been keeping for a year or so (as I think Jura wines improve greatly after a year or two in slumber). We started off with the Cuvee de l’Enfant Terrible 2009 Poulsard, and while this needs to be decanted and needs an hour of air to burn off the reductive notes, it is a smashing Poulsard with a cloudy pinkish hue and a wonderful nose of strawberries and metal. The nose on the Poulsard keeps inviting with it’s fragrance and the desire to figure out what is going on, and why you are loving something which you cannot quite define. If the 2009 Ganevat Poulsard is a success then the 2008 Ganevat Cuvee Julien Pinot Noir is a home run. This is the best Pinot Noir I have ever had from the Jura, and it gives a great many fine Burgundies a run for the money. While it is drinking well now, I have no doubt that this will only improve with more time in the cellar; it has great complexity and a smashing quixotic nose of cherry cola and earth. There are no reductive notes here, just amazing purity and character and a gorgeous nose that invites disbelief. If you can only try one wine from Ganevat, Cuvee Julien would certainly be the candidate. Apparently Ganevat does not have a website, and the wines are pricey, and difficult to locate as they tend to disappear quite quickly, but there is no doubt of their authenticity. Ganevat is smashing stuff…

I sincerely hope (for your sake) that you live to recant those words. Julien is good but Ganevat is MR Chardonnay. I don’t know, but if you can get them stateside then beg, borrow, steal and buy in bulk.